GALWAY EAST – Candidates make last ditch effort for votes

Date Published: 25-Feb-2011

BY DECLAN TIERNEY

Candidates standing in the Galway East constituency were thick on the ground this evening as they made their final bid for votes.

The main candidates were travelling between polling stations in Tuam, Loughrea and Ballinasloe to meet voters during the peak voting times with polls set to close shortly.

The talk of three Fine Gael seats in the Galway East constituency seems to have abated somewhat with a concession from FG that two seats was the more realistic outcome.

It is expected that Paul Connaughton jnr. will be safely elected with a bitter fight between Cllr. Jimmy McClearn and Sen. Ciaran Cannon for the other FG seat. Grassroots Fine Gaelers are said to be backing McClearn ahead of Cannon.

This means that there is no seat for Tuam’s Cllr. Tom McHugh who would need a high first preference to bid for the third seat will all eyes on the performance of Independent Cllr. Sean Canney – many believe he is a certainty for the seat amongst the ‘Tuam Three’.

There has been a major push for Deputy Micheal Kitt in recent days and while he will not top the poll as he did in 2007, he is seen as Fianna Fail’s only chance of winning a seat for the party.

Watch out for another independent Cllr. Timmy Broderick who will poll well but his only downfall may be the lack of obvious transfers in the Ballinasloe area.

Exit poll prediction: Paul Connaughton jnr. (FG), Jimmy McClearn (FG), Micheal Kitt (FF), Sean Canney (Ind).